Real life with Lar

Creamy Curry Butternut Soup I know what you're thinking, “I am not a squash fan”. Believe me when I say I'm right there with you, but this soup is so warming, so decadent, so GOOD you will change your mind about butternut squash. The ingredients are few and the process is simple. It’s a healthy soup and perfect for a cold winter day. And if you are super busy and looking for a quick dinner...dump in the crockpot all the ingredients except the coconut cream and set on low for 5-6 hours and in the last hour add coconut cream stir. After cooking is done check salt to taste and us a masher for a chunkier soup or an immersion blender for a smoother soup!! You’ll need… 2 lbs of diced butternut squash (Most Costcos carry 2lbs diced Butternut Squash) 1 T Curry Powder 1 1/2 tsp Ginger 1 1/2 tsp Cumin Salt and Pepper to taste 3-4 C Chicken Broth (you could also use vegetable broth) 2 Shallots, minced 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 can 15oz Coconut Cream (not milk) Heavy whipping Cream(opti...

Quick Summer Breakfast Options Growing up, mornings were hard. Until I discovered coffee, in my late teens.  It took me quite awhile to become ‘human’ and not the ‘morning monster’ as my baby sister called me. My Dad had the worse time trying to wake me up. It didn't matter how much sleep I got. I could have had 6 hours of sleep or 16; I just didn’t like getting up in the morning. Dad would start out with his morning playlist of songs singing  This is the Day that the Lord has made , followed up by,  Rise and Shine and give God the Glory Glory ! When  fun loving Dad  would get frustrated,  ticked off Dad  showed up,  "Lar you better have your feet on the floor when I come back in here!’  I waited till I could hear him coming down the hall, then as the obedient child that I was,would throw my feet flat on the ground while still laying my upper half on the bed. Fast forward a few decades...  Well, now I have coffee and as long as I can hav...

Hot Dog Heaven!! Everyone loves a good hotdog and everyone has their favorite way of topping a hotdog. I am going to give you our family's top 3. There really isn't a 'wrong' way to top your hotdog. It's all by personal preference BUT if you are looking to mix things up a bit this summertime here are a few alternatives. Also, I want to add that a good, quality hot dog is key to having great flavor! The Classic Chili Cheese dog kicked up a notch ... Being from Southern California we love a little heat in our foods. So take your grilled hot dog and... Place thinly sliced jalapeño and finely chopped onion on the dog  Top with your favorite chili (my homemade chili is a favorite but we ate it already so canned it is).  Instead of shredded cheddar try shredded pepper jack.   Place under broiler for a couple minutes till cheese has melted. Keep a constant eye on it so the bun doesn't burn. This has so much flavor and a nice, spicy kick from the jalapeño.  Th...

Banana Chocolate Chip "Nuffins" Little A helping Baba with "da Bog" aka the blog! I love to bake with my grandson. I love making memories with him. He has nicknames for the food we make. Cupcakes are "happiness". Any kind of muffins are "nuffins". These nicknames just make our memories just that much sweeter. (pun intended 😉) This recipe is one of his favorites because it has bananas AND chocolate. Since the cold weather is pretty much here for everyone, why not make a batch of these "nuffins" with your loved one? It will be a fun memory, as well as some good snacks to eat together. Bananas not shown! This is what you will need: 4 Very Ripe Bananas 1/4 c Melted Butter 1/8tsp Salt 1tsp Baking Soda 2/3c Sugar 3 Lrg Eggs 1tsp Vanilla 2 cups All Purpose Flour 1-2 cups Chocolate Chips (depends how much you like chocolate) Directions: Pre-heat Oven to 325 Take 2 muffin pans and line t...

Dating  On a budget!  Together 32 years...31 years married Dating your spouse is important but some times money gets in the way of having a "proper date". You don't need a steak dinner and a movie to call it a date. Time spent with your significant other is about being together and building memories.   With Holiday season right around the corner I'm sure everyone's budget is gong to be a bit tighter than normal.  So I thought it would be good to share some of our favorite budget friendly dates. When Smokin Hot hubby and I were first together we were FLAT BROKE! Flatter than a pancake broke. (I think you get the picture) Anyway, we had to get creative with the gift giving and the date nights. Looking back though it was the memories that make those times so priceless because putting the extra effort and thought into a gift and date makes it that much more special. Now if you were to ask Smokin what his favorite date was he would tell you that it w...

If Parmesan and Marinara had a baby 😍 Delicious, easy, and cheesy!! Tell me who could ask for anything more?! I'm not a huge marinara fan because I feel it is too runny. This sauce is ’thicker’ and holds better to the pasta. I blend it smooth, but you could also just break the tomatoes down with a masher or fork. Should you choose to do this, I would suggest chopping your fresh basil into smaller bits. I have made this sauce both ways and both were a huge hit with my family and friends.   Here is what you will need: Olive oil and shallot not pictured 1/4 c. + 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4-5 cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped 2   Shallots, thinly sliced  4  15 oz cans of Cherry Tomatoes (you can use whole or diced tomatoes as well) 2 Fresh Carrots peeled and cut in half, then length wise Parmesan rinds (you can do as many as you want I usually do 3-4) 1/2 tsp salt 2 Bayleaf A handful Basil (10-12 leaves), tear i...

Tres Leches Cake For the upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration I thought I would share my favorite cake to bring to any type of get together. It’s refreshing yet rich... sweet but not OVERLY sweet... beyond delicious and easy to make. It is easy recipe but it has more than a  few steps.  But with focus and patience you’ll be sitting down and eating an amazing cake in no time. Maybe you’ll even share it with friends but I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t; it’s that good!! Here is what you will need.... Cake ingredients! (Milk is pictured in next image) For the cake... 1 c Cake Flour 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder Pinch of Salt (about 1/4 tsp) 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla   1 c Sugar (reserve 1/3 of this for the egg whites) 5 eggs , separated  1/3 c Milk (Whole or low fat is fine.) For Milk mixture... 1 can Evaporated milk 1 can Sweetened Condensed milk 1/3 c Heavy Cream For Whipped Topping 1 pint Heavy Cream 1/4 c...